This invention relates to multi-element floating docks, and in particular to such docks in which the dock sections are joined together with flexible shock-absorbing couplings.
It is a common practice to make docks for mooring boats and the like from a plurality of floating sections which are joined together end to end. These dock sections must be joined together in a manner which permits angular displacement between them in order to accommodate wave action and other movement of the dock. However, the dock sections must be prevented from moving laterally and vertically relative to one another in order to maintain alignment. In addition, while the amount of separation between the dock sections must vary somewhat if the dock sections are to accommodate wave action, the amount of this separation must be limited.
In the past dock sections have been joined together by spanning both sides of adjacent dock sections with elongate wood planks or whalers. Threaded rods are inserted through aligned openings in the dock sections and the whalers and nuts are secured to their ends to clamp the whalers to the dock sections. This system has several shortcomings which limit its usefulness. First, since the threaded rods extend through the entire dock sections they are unwieldly and subject to breakage. In addition, while wood whalers are somewhat flexible, they do not permit the unlimited rotational movement between adjacent dock sections which is necessary to accommodate heavy wave action. Furthermore, the nuts on the ends of the threaded rods must be tightened sufficiently to achieve proper clamping action and not work free and yet must not be overtightened to the point where they compromise the strength of the components. Accordingly, the people who install the nuts must be skilled, and even then some overtightening and undertightening will occur. Because the coupling elements are partially concealed by the dock sections it is difficult to inspect them for damage. Even more of a problem is that the marine environment in which docks of this type are used will cause the nuts to become rusted onto the threaded rods making them difficult to remove. A final shortcoming of this prior art system is that in order to use it to attach finger piers to a main dock section, flanges must be attached to the finger pier which increases the cost and requires the use of different coupling elements.
The subject invention overcomes the foregoing shortcomings and limitations of the prior art by using elongate, flexible, noncompressible tieing elements, such as cables, to couple adjacent dock sections together. The cables pass through openings in elastically compressible pads which are attached to the dock sections. The cables have stops located at each of their ends which engage the outer ends of the pads and prevent the cables from being pulled back out of the pads. Thus, the pads act as compressibly yieldable restraints against the separation of the dock sections and prevent their separation past a predetermined point. An elastically compressible spacer which fits between adjacent dock sections serves as a compressibly yieldable restraint against movement of the dock sections toward one another and prevents their being moved closer together than a predetermined amount.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the pads are placed in steel-lined cavities which are formed in the top surfaces of adjacent dock sections, which generally are made from reinforced concrete. This permits the steel liners to be welded to the reinforcing bar in the dock sections which spreads the load carried by the coupling elements over a wide portion of the dock sections. The pads are separated into top and bottom portions which have semispherical grooves in their mating surfaces which receive the cables. Thus, the bottom portion of a pad can be positioned in the cavity, the cable placed on top of it, and then the top portion of the pad installed over the top of the cable.
Tension plates are inserted between the stops and the end walls of the cavities to precompress the pads and eliminate the free movement which would otherwise result from the clearance which is necessary to allow assembly of the components. In addition, the spacer which fits between the dock sections is wider than the nominal distance between the sections which causes this element to be precompressed also.
A line-up sleeve, which is attached to each cable intermediate its ends, fits into counterbores located in the ends of the pads and in openings formed in the end walls of the cavity. Thus, the line-up sleeve prevents lateral and vertical movement of the joined dock sections relative to one another without limiting the rotational movement necessary to accommodate wave action.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a multi-element floating dock having shock-absorbing flexible couplings which can be installed easily and quickly.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a dock in which the coupling elements are readily accessible for inspection.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a dock in which the coupling elements are pretensioned automatically upon installation without the requirement of manual adjustment.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a dock in which the coupling elements can be replaced easily without the necessity of loosening threaded connectors.
It is a yet a further object of the present invention to provide such a dock in which the same coupling components can be used for attaching main dock sections together and for attaching finger piers to the main dock sections.
The foregoing and other objectives, features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.